What if you provide a service that the customer never sees?
When we travel, we use a cat-sitting company. We leave, they come, we return, they’re gone. All’s well if the cat is happy and the crap is gone.
Our new service, Out You Go, did a great job of leaving a lasting impression: A gift basket full of doodads. The cat toys and treats remind us where we got them. The trick is to use gifts that don’t get used up. A food gift would get eaten and forgotten, but the toys, Post-its, and pens put their brand in front of us every day.
Lesson: Create a thank-you gift that provides a constant reminder of what you did.